The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for displaying operating and position information for an aircraft.
Some aircraft may now be equipped with an electric drive taxi system (ETS), which may move the aircraft on the ground using electric drive motors on the main taxi gear, powered by an auxiliary power unit (APU), rather than using thrust from the main engines. The ETS may have the potential to allow a pilot to move an aircraft around an airport taxi surface area in a manner that provides substantial fuel savings. However, to provide fuel savings, the pilot may have to operate the ETS in an unfamiliar manner, different from using engine thrust to move the aircraft on the ground.
Taxiing with thrust power from the main engines, may provide excess power at idle, which may allow the pilot to achieve any desired taxi speed, regardless of aircraft weight or airport surface condition. With the APU powered ETS, however, the power available may be more limited, so taxi performance may be variable based on the mechanical design of the ETS system, power available from the APU, taxiway slope, aircraft weight, tires and tire pressure, and other factors. This may present the pilot with a different operational capability than what he/she may be used to when using main engine thrust power to taxi. Using the ETS safely, and in a manner that maximizes operational efficiency (for example, to provide maximum fuel efficiency and minimal brake and APU wear) may be especially difficult for pilots who are newly operating an aircraft with the ETS.
Some ETS systems may be equipped with an automatic speed control which may assist pilots in operating the ETS system efficiently. However, even when the ETS is being controlled automatically, the pilot may want to monitor the operation of the ETS system.
As can be seen, there may be an ongoing need for systems and methods for displaying operating and position information for an aircraft with the ETS to assist pilots in achieving operational efficiencies and/or to monitor the ETS when an automatic speed control is being utilized.